Spawned from an ancient promise, treachery and intrigue follow the protagonists through our world and one lost to the waves. Bound by an invisible bond, they are thrust into a fantastical world of pirates and demons.

James Benedict is a just man haunted by evil. Pushed to the edge, everything stripped from him, a new man arises . . . a man whose name strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it: "Captain Hook".

Eileen Davis was a timid woman. Through a fateful cruise she finds herself in the company of the Captain of the Mistral Thief. With his guidance, and the meddling of the local barista, she eventually finds her inner strength.

Will the two of them unite through time to fulfill the promise of their ancestors or will tempers ignite leading all to failure?

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book had me all over the place with my emotions! I was happy, I was sad, I was creeped out, I was grossed out, and most importantly, I was entertained. Although this story was romantic, I cannot really classify this as a romance, and that is a good thing. The romance was there, but it didn’t overpower the actual story-line, it enhanced it. Eileen’s’ relationship with the two very different captains was simply one aspect of a very immersive and multidimensional fairy tale. Along with the romance, there was mystery, action, magic, a sprinkling of horror, and plenty of drama, and that, my dear fellow readers, is the formula for a great book!

The story built up slowly over a long period of time. Not only do the three main characters travel back and forth between present day and the past, but they spend years in each time period growing and changing. I always appreciate it when a story takes it’s time, but all of that build up needs to be leading somewhere or else the entire journey will feel like a let down. Although there was not a really grand climactic scene near the end of this book, things did pick up about 60% into the story, and they never slowed down. Everything prior to that final 40% was entertaining and necessary, but there were fewer exciting scenes. Let me be clear, THIS BOOK WAS NEVER BORING, but it focused on the personal growth of its characters.

In fact, a lot of the excitement in this story came from drama not action. Eileen is a very intelligent but timid young woman who is thrust into a nautical adventure because of a mistake her ancestor made long before she was ever born. But just before she begins this adventure, she meets a man named James Benedict; and throughout the course of the book, we find out that they have a lot more in common than just their initial attraction for each other. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you ask, James and Eileen don’t get to spend more than a few awkward moments together before she is magically thrown back in time and into the sometimes rough, sometimes gentle, but always open arms of Captain Robert Benedict.

After I started reading it seemed like I might be dealing with a love triangle so, I did something that I haven’t done in a while. I read a few the reviews of this book hoping I would stumble upon a clue about just how conflicted Eileen would be while choosing between these two men. One thing that I noticed is that although I found some very well written and enthusiastic reviews, no one gave me any clues or major spoilers! And now I know why. The most enjoyable aspect of reading Second on the Right, was dealing with the unknown. Will Eileen fall in love with both James and Robert? Is Robert a complicated but good man or a pirate through and through? How on earth will a sensitive, charming, and somewhat coddled man like James end up being Captain Hook? And why oh why is Peter Pan so creepy?! Heck, there are even a few questions that I asked myself while reading that I cannot share with you. This is just one of those books that is best experienced spoiler free. However, I can assure you that most if not all of your questions will be answered.

My only issue with the story was the abruptness of the ending. For a different book, it would not have been an abrupt ending, but this book really messed with my head and kept me guessing. All the ending did was make me smile. (Yes, you read that last statement correctly.) The ending had me grinning from ear to ear, and I even got that warm tingly feeling that I always get at the end of a good fairy tale, but this book took the traditional fairy tale and gave it a pretty awesome makeover. I guess I just expected the ending to screw with the fairy tale formula the way the rest of the story did. The complaint is minor, but I wanted a little bit more out of the ending.

Even though the book is more about adventure and story telling, the romance is there, and I want to spend some time on it.

Both Robert and James are in love with Eileen, and in a way, she loves both of them. It never read like a traditional “love triangle”, it was made very clear who she loved, but her feelings were complicated.

When Eileen is transported back in time and onto “The Mistral Thief”, Robert treats her with as much tenderness as he can manage even though it doesn’t come naturally to him. Both of these relationships have their adorable moments.

I especially enjoyed reading about Robert’s feelings for Eileen. It’s as though the fact that he can care for, respect, and be attracted to a woman all at the same time is more than his brain can comprehend. It isn’t love at first sight, but his feelings for her run deep and only get stronger over time. I have a theory that James would not have loved Eileen as much as he did had it not been for the time she spent with Robert. Working on The Mistral Thief, and winning the friendship, loyalty, and respect of a man like him, gave Eileen so much confidence, that she was a much different woman when she and James actually got to know one another.

James falls for Eileen the moment he meets her on a cruise, but it took her a little bit longer to warm up to him. As the story progressed, I always felt like his feelings for her were stronger, and that’s not a bad thing. He loved her in that intense, never-ending, all-encompassing way. He definitely “got hit by the thunder bolt” when he met her. I’m sure some people complain when they read about an unrealistic love like that, in fact I’ve complained when I’ve read about love like that, but I liked the way it was written in this story. It just fit. James should have loved her more because loving Eileen is what inspired him to make it through a lot of horrible things, and fighting for her was what he did best. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to read about a guy going the extra mile for the woman he loves.

If you are like me and dislike love triangles, this book will not be difficult for you to read. I was very upset more than once when I felt the man Eileen did not belong with was overstepping his bounds, but the story progresses in such a way that she is with the man she belongs with when she is supposed to be with him. Everything happens at the right time.

Lastly,I don’t know if this is a spoiler or not, but I have been trying so hard to give a thoughtful and detailed review without spoiling, that I think I’m owed a small spoiler…

Peter Pan is such a great villain! I hated him so much, and LOVED hating him so much! I have never wished so hard for the death of a beloved Disney character in my life, and I had a blast reading about all of his naughtiness. He had a sick sense of humor and childishness that accompanied his pure evil, and it was definitely a winning combination.

There is so much that I have not touched on that I enjoyed about this story, but like I said, it would spoil things for you so you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. If you like adventures with a little romance and magical mysteries. Second on the Right will not disappoint.

Because of violence and very mild sexual content, I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up.

Four Roses:

Author Biography

About Elizabeth Los

“I began writing fan fiction short stories in 2011, as means of escape. The response to the stories provided the necessary encouragement to continue on. A wife and mother, working full time plus another job on the side, and helping others in need, I made writing my therapy, my release for stress. I hope to continue on with this love, providing the same enjoyment she receives while writing.”
Elizabeth uses writing as therapy, her release from everyday stress. At night, after work and once the children are finally tucked in bed, for the fifth time, she sits at her laptop and lets her imagination flow.
Elizabeth has produced short stories, one of which will be published in an anthology. She had a blast writing Sherlock Holmes fan fiction story entitled A Case of Need, based on the BBC’s Sherlock. By July 2011, her first novel, Second on the Right, had been completed. She spent several years polishing the story in order to provide a high quality product to the public. Second on the Right is her first professional novel.
Elizabeth currently lives in Southern California with her husband, children, as well as a rambunctious Black Labrador and an enormous yet loveable Saint Bernard."